Cover Lessons
Cover lesson ideas linking to the DCF, for a range of subjects, both offline and digital.
Guiding a Bee Robot to the Flowers
DCF: Data and computational thinking → Problem-solving and modelling
Pupils program a robot bee on a paper garden map using up, down, left and right arrows. They follow a code to see which flower the bee reaches, write their own code to reach the yellow flower without landing on a spider web, find and fix the bug in a code that overshoots the blue flower, and rewrite repeated arrows the short way (4 right, 2 up). They count the squares moved and use above, below and next to to describe where things are. A floor robot can be used if the school has one, but none is needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Guiding a Bee Robot to the Flowers
- Worked example: a finished pupil page with routes, the bug and the answer key
- Optional: a floor robot
Tools required
- Pencil
- Coloured pencils
Software / weblinks
Saving and Naming Photos of a Shadow
DCF: Interacting and collaborating → Storing and sharing
A Year 2 class photographed a cone's shadow 4 times on a sunny day, and the tablet named the photos IMG_2041 to IMG_2044. Using a pretend camera roll on paper, pupils read the o'clock and half past times on each photo, measure each shadow in paving slabs, put the shadows in order and find that the shortest is around the middle of the day. They then choose and write clear file names, name a folder, order the steps for saving a photo, and use the file names to find the photo they need. The photos and data are invented; no computers needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Saving and Naming Photos of a Shadow
- Stimulus: shadow photos on a pretend tablet camera roll, one between two
- Worked example: a finished pupil page with the answer key
- Optional: a torch to make shadows
Tools required
- Pencil
Software / weblinks
Searching for Facts About Hedgehogs
DCF: Producing → Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Pupils find out what hedgehogs eat by working through a pretend search on paper. They put the steps to success for an online search in order, choose the best keywords and write their own for a new question, pick the search result that answers the question and spot the advert, and learn to search with a grown up. They then read a short fact page about hedgehogs in Wales and answer questions about it, finishing with their favourite fact and a reason. All the websites are invented; no computers needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Searching for Facts About Hedgehogs
- Stimulus: a pretend search screen and hedgehog fact page, one between two
- Worked example: a finished pupil page with the answer key
Tools required
- Pencil
Software / weblinks
Choosing How to Send a Message to Nain
DCF: Interacting and collaborating → Communication
Online communication with punctuation. Pupils meet four ways an invented boy, Osian, could send news to his Nain in Llandudno: a letter, an email, a text message and a video call. They name each one, tick the three that use the internet and talk about which is fastest and which lets you see Nain's face. They then fix Osian's email by adding 8 capital letters and 3 full stops, and write and check their own 2 or 3 sentence email on a pretend paper screen. Unplugged: no computers needed.
Resources required
- Supply teacher presentation: Choosing How to Send a Message to Nain (board slides, timers and script)
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Choosing How to Send a Message to Nain
- Stimulus: four picture cards, a letter, an email, a text message and a video call
- Worked example and answer key: the fixed email and a model email to Nain
Tools required
- Pen and paper
Software / weblinks
Choosing Keywords to Find Puffin Pictures
DCF: Producing → Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Searching with spelling. Pupils hear real facts about the puffins of Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire, then plan pictures for a class fact page. They put the 3 steps of a picture search in order, compare pretend search screens to see why puffling finds better pictures than baby and puffin better than bird, and sound out keywords in sound boxes (f-i-sh, e-gg, r-o-ck, s-ea). They write 2 keywords for each of 3 pictures they need and plan the page against a 3-point checklist. Unplugged: no computers needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Choosing Keywords to Find Puffin Pictures
- Stimulus: Skomer puffin facts and five pretend search screens
- Worked example and answer key: sound boxes, model keywords and a planned fact page
Tools required
- Pen and paper
- Coloured pencils
Software / weblinks
Designing a Poster for the Class Book Sale
DCF: Producing → Creating digital content
Creating digital content with money. Pupils plan a poster for an invented class book sale on a pretend paper tablet with 4 tools: make text bigger, change colour, add a picture and delete. They choose the right tool for each job and compare a faint, unreadable draft with a clear poster that uses a big coloured title, a picture and prices. Using the prices (comic 10p, picture book 20p, poetry book 30p, chapter book 50p) they order the books, add totals of 30p and 60p, find 2 ways to pay 50p in coins, work out 80p change from £1 and find 3 books that cost exactly £1. They finish by designing their own poster against a 4-point checklist. Unplugged: no computers needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Designing a Poster for the Class Book Sale
- Stimulus: the pretend toolbar and two draft book sale posters
- Worked example and answer key: tool choices, money answers and a model poster
Tools required
- Pen and paper
- Coloured pencils
- Coins (optional)
Software / weblinks
Sending an Email to a Partner School in Lesotho
DCF: Interacting and collaborating → Communication
Pupils compare ways to send a message, from a letter to a video call, and choose the best one for different jobs. They read a pretend email from an invented partner class in Lesotho, plan what to tell them about Wales and write a safe reply on a pretend email screen. No computers are needed.
Resources required
- Supply teacher presentation: Sending an Email to a Partner School in Lesotho (board slides, timers and script)
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Sending an Email to a Partner School in Lesotho
- Stimulus: a pretend email from an invented partner class in Maseru, Lesotho
- Worked example: finished activity page and what to look for
Tools required
- Pencil
- Coloured pencils
Software / weblinks
Spotting Devices in a Living Room Then and Now
DCF: Citizenship → Health and well-being
Pupils spot and count the devices in a Welsh living room in 1975 and the same room today, and match old devices to the new ones that do the same job. They run a class vote on the device they use most, record it with tally marks and totals, and choose healthy screen habits. No computers are needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Spotting Devices in a Living Room Then and Now
- Stimulus: a living room in 1975 and today, with invented backup votes
- Worked example: finished activity page and what to look for
Tools required
- Pencil
- Coloured pencils
Software / weblinks
Checking a Counting Game Screen
DCF: Producing → Evaluating and improving digital content
Pupils test four screens of an invented counting game made by older pupils, checking each one against a single success criterion: counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, matching a picture to a number, and being easy to read. They decide if each screen passes, write the fix, then write kind and helpful comments to the designers as sentences with capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. Unplugged; no computers needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Checking a Counting Game Screen
- Worked example: a finished activity page with answers and what to look for
Tools required
- Pencil
Software / weblinks
Choosing Keywords to Find Counting Pictures
DCF: Producing → Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Pupils need pictures for a class counting poster. On pretend search screens they read keywords such as two boats and three sheep and circle the picture each search should find, choose the most exact keywords, write their own keywords with number words, and put the steps of a search in order. Unplugged; no computers needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Choosing Keywords to Find Counting Pictures
- Worked example: a finished activity page with answers and what to look for
Tools required
- Pencil
Software / weblinks
Planning a Shape Page for a Class E-book
DCF: Producing → Creating digital content
Pupils plan one page of a class e-book about 2D shapes on a pretend tablet screen. They count sides and corners, compare a hard-to-read screen with a clear one, match jobs to toolbar buttons (bigger, bold, colour, add a picture), then plan a page with a big title, a coloured shape and a caption written with shape words. Unplugged; no tablets needed.
Resources required
- Supply teacher presentation: Planning a Shape Page for a Class E-book (board slides, timers and script)
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Planning a Shape Page for a Class E-book
- Worked example: a finished activity page with answers and what to look for
Tools required
- Pencil
- Coloured pencils
Software / weblinks
Sorting Instruments into a Pictogram
DCF: Data and computational thinking → Data and information literacy
Pupils sort 15 picture cards from an invented class music box by one rule, how each instrument is played: hit, shake, blow or pluck. They act out each way of playing, sort the cards into sorting circles, record the groups in a tally chart, then build a pictogram where one picture stands for one instrument. They answer questions read aloud (which group has the most, how many more, how many altogether), decide why a pictogram is easier to read than a pile of cards, and learn that computers sort data by a rule in the same way. Unplugged; no computers needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Sorting Instruments into a Pictogram
- Stimulus: 15 instrument picture cards to cut out
- Worked example and answer key: sorted groups, tally chart, pictogram, answers and what to look for
Tools required
- Pen and paper
- Coloured pencils
- Scissors and glue
Software / weblinks
Reading a Chart of Screen Time and Active Play
DCF: Citizenship → Health and well-being
A teacher-led Year 2 lesson on screens and well-being with real chart reading. Pupils circle the digital devices among everyday objects and say what they use one for. They then read an invented block chart of Seren's screen time and active play after school, Monday to Friday, where each square is 10 minutes: they count in 10s, find the most and least, compare the two columns each day, and link the chart to the feelings faces Seren drew each evening (she was grumpy on the 2 days with more screen time than play). Finally they sort good and not so good sides of screen time and draw an active alternative. Paper-based; no computers needed.
Resources required
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Reading a Chart of Screen Time and Active Play
- Worked example: a finished activity sheet with the answers and what to look for
Tools required
- Pen and paper
- Coloured pencils
Software / weblinks
Sending Kind Messages Online
DCF: Citizenship → Online behaviour and online bullying
A teacher-led Year 2 lesson on being kind online. The cover teacher reads 6 comments left on Alys's dragon drawing on a pretend class drawing wall (invented), and pupils circle a happy or sad face to sort each one as kind or unkind, including one that leaves Alys out. They draw how Alys feels after two of the messages and copy a feelings word, tick the 3 good things to do about an unkind message (do not reply, tell a trusted grown-up, show the teacher), then trace and write kind words and write their own kind message to Alys, with a challenge to turn an unkind comment into a kind one. Paper-based; no computers needed.
Resources required
- Supply teacher presentation: Sending Kind Messages Online (board slides, timers and script)
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Sending Kind Messages Online
- Stimulus: Alys's pretend tablet screen with 6 invented comments on her drawing
- Worked example: a finished activity sheet with the answers and what to look for
Tools required
- Pen and paper
- Coloured pencils
Software / weblinks
Spotting Safe Choices in an Online Story
DCF: Citizenship → Identity, image and reputation
A teacher-led Year 2 lesson on staying safe online through a short picture story. The cover teacher reads 'Tomos and the tablet' (invented): Tomos is playing a farm game when Sam, someone he has never met, asks for his name and school, and later a flashing box offers a free pony. Tomos tells Mam and asks Dad before clicking. Pupils sort the characters into people Tomos knows and someone he has never met, answer story questions by circling, ticking and writing (including why Tomos did not click), sort choices into safe and not safe, and draw and write their own safe rule. Paper-based; no computers needed.
Resources required
- Supply teacher presentation: Spotting Safe Choices in an Online Story (board slides, timers and script)
- Teacher script and activity sheet: Spotting Safe Choices in an Online Story
- Stimulus: Tomos and the tablet, an invented 6-part picture story
- Worked example: a finished activity sheet with the answers and what to look for
Tools required
- Pen and paper
- Coloured pencils